UNHCR pleads for more aid to head off starvation in South Sudan

TANYA NOLAN: Up to a third of the population of South Sudan faces imminent starvation if urgent food, equipment and other aid isn't delivered within the next month, according to the United Nations humanitarian agency.

The world's newest country faces its first significant food crisis, as hundreds flee across borders each day, to escape the most recent fighting between ethnic groups.

Close to a million people have been displaced in the past three months since the conflict erupted over a power struggle between president Salva Kir and his sacked deputy, Reik Machar.

The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) has asked the international community for $1.27 billion in 2014 to help with the crisis, but has so far received pledges of just over $240 million.

Naomi Steer is the national director of Australia for UNHCR, a charity which raises funds for the UN body, and I spoke to her from the Kakuma refugee camp in neighbouring Kenya.

NAOMI STEER: I think unfortunately we've reached a point where the numbers will continue to increase. There are nearly now a staggering one million South Sudanese displaced both within their own country and in neighbouring countries like Kenya where I am and Uganda which really has very large numbers of South Sudanese refugees and Ethiopia and from talking to refugees that are both at the border in the camp, I think there's no expectation that the situation is going to change towards anything positive anytime soon.

I think it's probably fair to say I think all these humanitarian agencies have been surprised to some extent how badly the situation has turned. When conflict broke out in December last year I think the expectation was that somehow it would subside and things would get back to some relative normality. But clearly that hasn't happened and within South Sudan itself now, there are a number of reports of, very concerning reports, not only about violence and conflict that's happening but increasing difficulties about access to food.

TANYA NOLAN: So how much money and food aid is needed to head off this starvation threat and how quickly is it needed?

NAOMI STEER: It's not just a threat around food security. Certainly for UNHCR a key, key things are providing shelter. The UN had an appeal for $365 million at the moment and very worrying again, only 6 per cent of that amount has been provided so far, so there's a very big gap between donor support at the moment and what the UN is saying they need.

TANYA NOLAN: Well, if we look at the donors that you're seeking money from, I suppose individuals as much as governments at the moment, but you would know in Australia that the Abbott Government has cut aid spending, $650 million already cut from this financial year and those figures are only set to rise once the budget is delivered. How is that affecting Australia's aid effort in Africa and places South Sudan?

NAOMI STEER: Yeah, look Australia has been a very good donor and I think certainly we'd be seeking that that support continue, but it's also important that private sector support is given and increasingly that's been a very important part in UNHCR delivery of services too.

TANYA NOLAN: But given that the Abbott Government has announced cuts of I think $74 million from its humanitarian and refugee program and $4 million from the UNHCR, are you increasingly being forced to turn to private donors?

NAOMI STEER: I wouldn't say in Australia that the private sector could certainly ever, ever exceed the government support but it is true globally that government support to UNHCR fluctuates, both in terms of political interest or geographic interest and I think the real value of private sector support is that it is sustainable and it's predictable and it's non-political.

TANYA NOLAN: Well, given the situation in South Sudan, which is a great example as you just mentioned, so far this year you've only reached 6 per cent of your target. How do you then deal with the absolute shortfall that you're looking destined to face.

NAOMI STEER: Well, it's one of the reasons that I'm in Kakuma refugee camp now looking very strategically at the kind of support that Australian donors can give. So some of the areas that I'm looking at given that we can't fund all the needs that are here, but certainly one of our key focuses is around providing clean water and sanitation. We've been talking to UNHCR about how we can do that both very quickly and efficiently and things like digging bore holes.

TANYA NOLAN: Well, you are in fact in charge of the fundraising arm of the UNHCR here in Australia. Tell me which parts of the private sector are stepping up and filling the breach that the government is leaving?

NAOMI STEER: Well, look its ordinary Australians and since we were established as a fundraising arm of the UNHCR 14 years ago, that's been pretty much the story - ordinary people giving regular amounts, often not large amounts, but regularly to UNHCR and this year we will raise over $22 million for UNHCR from pretty much individual Australians.

TANYA NOLAN: Are you disappointed that the corporate sector isn't contributing more?

NAOMI STEER: Oh, we'll be asking for more support. We'll really be asking corporate to step up and participate in those kinds of programs, which are not only good for agencies like ours but also good for their staff to be involved in.

TANYA NOLAN: That's Naomi Steer and she's the national director of Australia for UNHCR, a charity which raises funds for the UN body.